Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 23 September 1999

Scottish Executive

Childcare

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many co-operative or employee owned childcare centres or nurseries there are across Scotland.

Peter Peacock: The latest data collected centrally on childcare are set out in the Statistical Information Note Social Work Daycare Services for Children in Scotland, November 1997, published by the then Scottish Office in May 1999. Data are not, however, centrally collected on whether provision is co-operative or employee owned.

Community Care

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in hand to promote community care co-operatives and whether the Minister for Health and Community Care has made any visits to community care co-operatives.

Susan Deacon: There are no community care co-operatives in Scotland. There are however 79 Local Health Care Co-operatives (LHCCs).

  LHCCs are voluntary groupings of GPs and other local care professionals which will strengthen and support individual practices in delivering care. LHCCs are part of the internal management structure of Primary Care Trusts: they are not separately constituted bodies and they will collectively manage the resources for primary and community care. Bringing together these services is an important element of the broader strategy to promote more joined up working at local level.

  During my summer visits programme I visited a number of Primary Care Trusts and met with, among others, a number of LHCC Chairs. I plan to make more such visits in the future.

  LHCCs have only been in existence since 1 April 1999 and yet 95% of Scottish GPs are involved. The last few months have seen LHCCs deal mainly with operational issues but I hope that over the next few months we will see them become more involved in the planning and delivery of services to patients.

Credit Unions

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote Credit Unions across Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: We are keen to address financial exclusion by a variety of means and we are interested in credit unions as a possible vehicle to improving access to financial services. We are tracking the Taskforce on credit unions and we are keen to see how we can act on its recommendations. I will be meeting with the Chair of the Taskforce, Fred Goodwin in the near future. The Social Inclusion Network action team looking at the impact of local anti poverty action, including the activities of credit unions, will be reporting very shortly with ideas for the way ahead. We recognise that while there are many successful credit unions in Scotland more needs to be done if the movement is to grow significantly.

Credit Unions

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for contact with or visits to Credit Unions in Ireland to learn from examples of best practice.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Not at present.

Education

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive where, in Scottish schools, there are models of good practice in the integration of children with special educational needs into "mainstream" schools, and what proposals and financial support it will offer to encourage such integration.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The majority of children with special educational needs in Scotland are being taught in mainstream schools. Guidance for local authorities, teachers and other professionals is provided by the Manual of Good Practice in Special Educational Needs published by The Scottish Office in January 1999. The Scottish Executive wishes to encourage schools to do more to include children wherever possible in mainstream schooling. In response to the recommendations of the Riddell Committee Report we are allocating an additional £12 million, over 2 years from April 2000 as part of the Excellence Fund, to support local authorities’ plans.

Elderly People

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the Royal Commission Report With Respect to Old Age: Long Term Care – Rights and Responsibilities and what action it plans to take in light of the recommendations.

Iain Gray: The Royal Commission was set up to consider the system of funding care in residential and nursing homes, as well as in people’s own homes. The recommendations made in the Commission’s Report relating to health, housing and social work are for Scottish Ministers, and we are considering our response.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Department of Trade and Industry regarding Regional Selective Assistance.

Nicol Stephen: Regional Selective Assistance is a GB-wide scheme run to common guidelines in England, Scotland and Wales. The Scottish Executive has frequent discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry on various aspects of the scheme.

Enterprise

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd’s decision to award the contract for Holyrood North Phase Five to Drew Construction Ltd, who have sub-contracted the supply of kerb and drainage channel stone to Granit Union of Inverness who will source that stone in China, what steps it will take to ensure that Scottish taxpayers’ money is used to foster Scottish jobs by using Scottish products in future contracts awarded by Local Enterprise Councils.

Nicol Stephen: Local Enterprise Companies are required by their operating contracts with Scottish Enterprise to put contracts out to tender to maximise value for money.

Environment

Allan Wilson (Cunninghame North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to regulate the use of barbed tape/razor wire as a means of restricting public access to Scottish hills, mountains and historic sites.

Donald Dewar: We intend to bring forward legislation that will create a Right of responsible access to land and inland water. The legislation will include powers to enable local authorities to require the removal of any obstructions, including barbed tape or razor wire, erected to prevent the exercise of the new Right.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the allocation within the Scottish Departmental Expenditure Limits for expenditure (outturn estimated and planned) by the Secretary of State and Advocate General for Scotland in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, in cash terms.

Mr Jack McConnell: Details are set out in the main UK Supply Estimates published by HM Treasury on 31 March 1999. A copy is available in the Library.

Health

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide examples of local partnership best practice between health boards and local authorities which address the issue of "bed-blocking".

Iain Gray: Delays in discharge from hospital care can arise for many reasons. A data recording trial currently underway identifies some 40 circumstances that can contribute to a delay. It is for the care agencies to work in partnership to remove or at the very least reduce the cause of such delays.

  Guidance on this was issued to the NHS and local authorities in 1996 and 1998. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The guidance indicates that decisions on whether to discharge patients from NHS care and on how their continuing care needs can best be met should only be taken following multi-disciplinary assessment of the patient's health, social care and housing needs, and consultation with the patient's relatives or carer. The guidance also stresses that the patient's needs are paramount and that no discharge should take place until all the arrangements are in place for the continuing care of the individual in the alternative care setting proposed.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources the NHS in Scotland anticipates will be made available for the development of primary care services in financial years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 as a result of savings achieved by the cessation of funding and trust management restructuring.

Susan Deacon: A total of £13.5 million, formerly paid as GP Fundholding Management Allowances has been redistributed on a weighted capitation basis to support the work of LHCCs in 1999-2000. In future years this funding will form part of Health Boards’ unified budgets.

  The introduction of Primary Care Trusts was part of the overall reconfiguration of NHS Trusts in Scotland that is expected to yield net savings of £6 million per annum. With mergers having taken place in all 12 mainland Health Board areas, the saving per Board area will be £500,000 on average.

  It is for individual Primary Care Trusts to manage their own resources and decide how much of their funding should be made available for the development of primary care services.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of each NHS Scotland Primary Care and Acute Hospitals Trust’s total budget was attributable to management costs in the financial years 1997-98 and 1998-99, and what the projected percentage is for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

Susan Deacon: The percentage of total income attributable to management costs as reported by each NHS Trust for 1997-98 and 1998-99 is given in the table below. The data relates to NHS Trusts prior to reconfiguration at April 1999. The definition of management cost upon which the Trusts base their calculations was revised in April 1998. However, the 1997-98 figures have been rebased to the revised definition and the two sets of data are therefore comparable.

  


NHS Trusts Prior to 

  Reconfiguration at April 1999 


Management 

  Cost % 1997-98 


Management 

  Cost % 1998-99 















Aberdeen Royal NHS Trust 

  

3.3 

  

3.2 

  



Angus NHS Trust 

  

5.0 

  

4.8 

  



Argyll & Bute NHS 

  Trust 

  

4.9 

  

n/a 

  



Ayrshire & Arran 

  Community Healthcare NHS Trust 

  

4.4 

  

4.4 

  



Borders Community Health 

  NHS Trust 

  

5.9 

  

6.1 

  



Borders General Hospital 

  NHS Trust 

  

5.5 

  

5.1 

  



Caithness & Sutherland 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.7 

  

4.7 

  



Central Scotland Healthcare 

  NHS Trust 

  

5.0 

  

4.8 

  



Dumfries & Galloway 

  Acute & Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust 

  

4.2 

  

4.1 

  



Dumfries & Galloway 

  Community Health Services NHS Trust 

  

4.3 

  

5.7 

  



Dundee Healthcare NHS 

  Trust 

  

5.1 

  

5.0 

  



Dundee Teaching Hospitals 

  NHS Trust 

  

3.0 

  

3.2 

  



East & Midlothian 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.9 

  

5.1 

  



Edinburgh Healthcare 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.8 

  

4.6 

  



Edinburgh Sick Children's 

  NHS Trust 

  

5.6 

  

5.6 

  



Falkirk & District 

  Royal Infirmary NHS Trust 

  

4.6 

  

4.4 

  



Fife Healthcare NHS Trust 

  

4.4 

  

4.3 

  



Glasgow Dental Hospital 

  & School NHS Trust 

  

9.4 

  

9.2 

  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary 

  NHS Trust 

  

3.3 

  

3.3 

  



Grampian Healthcare NHS 

  Trust 

  

4.7 

  

4.4 

  



Greater Glasgow Community 

  & Mental Health NHS Trust 

  

4.6 

  

4.5 

  



Hairmyres & Stonehouse 

  Hospitals NHS Trust 

  

4.9 

  

4.3 

  



Highland Communities 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.9 

  

4.5 

  



Inverclyde Royal NHS 

  Trust 

  

6.0 

  

5.7 

  



Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals 

  NHS Trust 

  

5.0 

  

5.0 

  



Lanarkshire Healthcare 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.8 

  

4.8 

  



Law Hospital NHS Trust 

  

4.7 

  

4.2 

  



Lomond Healthcare NHS 

  Trust 

  

6.6 

  

5.8 

  



Monklands & Bellshill 

  Hospital NHS Trust 

  

4.4 

  

4.4 

  



Moray Health Services 

  NHS Trust 

  

3.9 

  

3.9 

  



North Ayrshire & 

  Arran NHS Trust 

  

4.0 

  

3.8 

  



Perth & Kinross NHS 

  Trust 

  

4.3 

  

4.3 

  



Queen Margaret Hospital 

  NHS Trust 

  

3.9 

  

3.9 

  



Raigmore Hospital NHS 

  Trust 

  

4.0 

  

4.0 

  



Renfrewshire Healthcare 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.1 

  

4.0 

  



Royal Alexandra Hospital 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.3 

  

4.2 

  



Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh 

  NHS Trust 

  

3.2 

  

3.1 

  



South Ayrshire Hospitals 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.4 

  

4.1 

  



Southern General Hospital 

  NHS Trust 

  

1.7 

  

1.4 

  



Stirling Royal Infirmary 

  NHS Trust 

  

4.3 

  

4.2 

  



Stobhill NHS Trust 

  

6.7 

  

6.7 

  



Victoria Infirmary NHS 

  Trust 

  

4.1 

  

4.1 

  



West Glasgow Hospitals 

  NHS Trust 

  

3.7 

  

3.5 

  



West Lothian NHS Trust 

  

3.7 

  

3.6 

  



Western General Hospitals 

  NHS Trust 

  

9.1 

  

8.7 

  



Yorkhill NHS Trust 

  

5.5 

  

5.4 

  



  Comparable information relating to the new Acute and Primary Care Trusts for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 is not currently available.

Health

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many general practitioner co-operatives are now established across Scotland.

Susan Deacon: GP Out of Hours arrangements are provided in a number of ways. The latest figures we have indicate that across Scotland there are 37 co-operatives, 23 rotas and 2 deputising services.

Housing

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any meetings with housing co-operatives across Scotland and, if so, when these took place.

Ms Wendy Alexander: We have not yet had any such meetings, but I am sure that opportunities will arise for me and my Ministerial colleagues to see the work of housing co-operatives in the course of our housing visits across Scotland.

Justice

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to monitor the effects of the introduction of legal aid fixed fee payments on those using the system, particularly those living in rural areas and young women on remand at Cornton Vale.

Mr Jim Wallace: Fixed payments for summary criminal legal aid cases were introduced on 1 April 1999 to control a significant area of public expenditure, while maintaining access to justice.

  Statistical information on the effects of the introduction of fixed payments is reported to the Tripartite Consultation Group which comprises representatives of the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Scottish Executive. The Tripartite Group has been asked to monitor closely all aspects of the introduction of fixed payments. Monitoring information includes information from the Crown Office which is responsible for the Procurator Fiscal Service.

Ministers

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will arrange for ministers to set aside time on a regular basis for meetings with MSPs, and particularly committee convenors and party spokesmen, who have constituency or policy issues to raise with them.

Donald Dewar: Yes. Ministers are already having meetings for these purposes and will continue to make time for contact with MSPs as necessary in the future.

Police

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is to review the cost to the public purse of police pensions issued on grounds of ill health.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Home Office is currently considering the outcome of a review of police pensions undertaken last year. The review had two main objectives; to modernise the police pension scheme; and to reform aspects of the existing arrangements for retirement on medical grounds. The Scottish Executive will consider the conclusions of the Home Office review, including any measures to reduce the cost of retirements on medical grounds.

Police

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to respond to the request from Scottish police forces for adequate funds to cope with their Millennium workload.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have made clear to the police that we are sympathetic to their request for additional funding to meet the costs of policing Millennium related activity. We are presently examining funding pressures across the Scottish Executive programmes and an announcement will be made in due course.

Prison Service

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to halve the female prison population by the end of the year 2000.

Angus MacKay: Sentencing decisions rest with the courts but we do support the aim of reducing prison numbers. That is why we have accepted in principle the recommendations contained in A Safer Way , the joint Prisons and Social Work report which reviewed community disposals and the use of custody for women offenders in Scotland, and why an inter-agency forum, chaired by Professor Sheila McLean, was set up to consider the issues raised by the review.

Prison Service

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to address the situation, described in the Scottish Prison Officers report Work and Health in the Scottish Prison Service, whereby the level of prison officer dissatisfaction has risen over the last five years from 10% to almost 40%.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Prison Service has taken into account this Report, and other information about staff views, in developing the Human Resources strategy contained in its Corporate Plan.

Rural Affairs

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the level of dependency on the private car for those resident in rural areas in the South of Scotland, and if so, to detail these plans.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive is pursuing a variety of initiatives to promote more sustainable and integrated transport in the rural areas. On 15 September, I announced grants to three community transport projects in the South of Scotland totalling nearly £92,000. Other initiatives include Rural Public Passenger Transport Grants, Social Inclusion Partnerships and the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund. The Executive is also looking forward to the outcome of the feasibility study exploring the potential for the reinstatement of the rail link between Edinburgh and the Borders let in April 1999.

Social Inclusion

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its continued financial support for the Social Inclusion Partnership in North Ayr.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I am pleased to confirm our continuing financial support for the Social Inclusion Partnership in North Ayr. This will enable the North Ayr Social Inclusion Partnership to build on its earlier work to tackle social exclusion in North Ayr, which culminated in the inauguration of the John Pollock Centre in June 1999.

Social Inclusion

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been undertaken to collate information on the number of community businesses in Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Social Inclusion Network action team on local anti-poverty action has looked at a number of such organisations as part of its work to identify good practice but no systematic mapping exercise has been carried out.

Social Inclusion

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been undertaken to collate information on the number of community co-operatives in Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I refer to the answer given to question S1W-1467.

Sport

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what means are being used to ensure that Scotland’s sporting heritage and culture is included in the Executive’s national cultural strategy.

Mr Sam Galbraith: We recognise that sport forms an important part of Scotland’s national heritage and cultural life, as we acknowledged in the debate at the beginning of September. We would welcome responses to the consultation document suggesting how this might be taken into account in developing the cultural strategy.

Sport

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what encouragement it will offer to local authorities to provide sporting and leisure schemes for children and young adults with disabilities and/or special educational needs.

Rhona Brankin: sportscotland continues its strong alliance with Scottish Disability Sport in delivering the Royal Mail - Ready Willing and Able for Sport programme throughout Scotland. The programme develops local partnerships with Scotland’s local authorities to promote sport for people with disabilities. Currently, 14 of Scotland’s local authorities are involved in the programme. Funding of £160,000 has been made available since 1995 and  sportscotland meets the costs of employing the programme’s full time Co-ordinator.

  On 18 October the Scottish Executive will launch a new sportscotland programme, SportSability which will make available over 160 sets of resources for special schools all over Scotland.

  sportscotland’s lottery funded School Sports Co-ordinator Programme is open to all local authorities and already two local authorities are receiving funding to support the appointment of School Sports Co-ordinators working specifically with the Special Educational Needs sector.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it is giving to Scottish League football clubs to build new or redevelop existing stadia.

Peter Peacock: Assistance is available from the Football Trust and  sportscotland for work to meet Taylor Report and other essential safety requirements. Some £1.1million is available for such projects in the current financial year.

Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of passengers resident in Scotland fly on package holidays from airports outwith Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: In 1998, the latest year for which figures are available, the percentage of package holiday passengers resident in Scotland who flew from airports outwith Scotland was 29%.*

  *Information derived from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) by the Office for National Statistics. The IPS is a sample survey and the results are, therefore, subject to sampling error.

Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made, or will make, to Her Majesty’s Government in relation to improving Scottish rail freight services and to the timetable for the implementation of its commitment to the establishment of Eurostar services from Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has concurrent responsibility with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for rail freight grants in Scotland. The UK Minister for Transport and I announced on 13 September a £9.7 million Freight Facilities Grant award to TDG Nexus for works at Grangemouth.

  Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority has served a petition on the British Rail Board in respect of its plan of 1989 for regional Eurostar services.

Transport

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision will be made on reconstructing the A8000 between the Forth Road Bridge and the Humbie roundabout as a dual carriageway.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Mrs Smith to the answer I gave to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton on 31 August (S1W-991).

Transport

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the potential benefits of the completion of the M74 extension to the Glasgow economy and, given these benefits, whether it will fund the project.

Mr Jack McConnell: The M74 Northern Extension is one of the 17 major road schemes being considered in the Strategic Roads Review. The Review is considering the potential impacts of these schemes under a number of headings, including economy. The Executive plans to report to Parliament shortly on the outcome of the review.

Transport

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to relieve traffic congestion on the M8 motorway at Paisley.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The Scottish Executive will continue to work closely with Renfrewshire Council to ensure that junctions on the M8 operate efficiently and safely; to develop local and national policies to reduce traffic congestion; and to promote public transport.